India will Spend $3.7 billion to Fence Porous Border with Myanmar

Utkarsh Classes Last Updated 28-03-2024

India will Spend $3.7 billion to Fence Porous Border with Myanmar

Place in News 5 min read

India is planning to spend about $3.7 billion to fence the porous border with Myanmar which is 1,610-km (1,000-mile). Earlier, the government decided to end the Free Movement Regime along the Indo-Myanmar border.

About Indo-Myanmar Border

The India-Myanmar border spans a total of 1,643 kilometers and runs through four Indian states: Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh.
In Moreh, Manipur, a 10 kilometer stretch has already been fenced, and two pilot projects that utilize a Hybrid Surveillance System (HSS) are currently underway. These projects aim to fence one kilometer each in Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur. Additionally, fence works covering approximately 20 kilometers in Manipur have been approved and will commence soon.

About Free Movement Regime (FMR)

India and Myanmar have an agreement called the Free Movement Regime (FMR). This agreement allows local tribes living along the border to travel up to 16 kilometers inside the other country without needing a visa.
According to this agreement, local tribes living within 16 km on either side of the border can travel with one-year validity and stay for a maximum of two weeks.

The Indian government has announced a plan to put up smart fencing along the entire India-Myanmar border to curb illegal immigration.
Once implemented, the Free Movement Regime (FMR) policy along the border would come to an end and anyone entering the country through this route would require a valid visa. The project is expected to be completed in four and a half years.
Currently, only about 10 km of the 390 km porous border between Manipur and Myanmar is fenced.

Projects with Myanmar

India is creating a transportation system called the Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport project that combines road, river, and port transportation.
The goal of this project is to connect Kolkata to Sittwe in Myanmar and then to India's northeast through Myanmar's Kaladan river.
Furthermore, India is collaborating with Myanmar and Thailand on the Asian Trilateral Highway project, which will link India to ASEAN. This road is expected to improve trade and commerce in the ASEAN-India Free Trade Area while also benefiting other Southeast Asian countries.

Partnership with Myanmar

India and Myanmar recently held a joint military exercise called IMBAX to strengthen their relationship and combat insurgency in India's northeast region.
India is looking to better connect South Asia and Southeast Asia and Myanmar plays an important role in these plans.
This is done through a group called BIMSTEC, which works towards cooperation between countries in the Bay of Bengal region.
Myanmar is part of several key regional groups, including ASEAN, BIMSTEC, and the Mekong Ganga Cooperation. As a result, its ties with India hold significance across the region. This aligns with India's "Act East" policy, which aims to increase its involvement in Southeast Asia.
Myanmar has generally supported India's positions in various international organizations. In exchange, India supported Myanmar's bid to join SAARC (a significant South Asian group) as an observer member in 2008.